


Wanderer

by LadyoftheDawn



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Bonding, Excalibur, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Magic Revealed, Magic Shop, Modern Era, Past Lives, Prophecy, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22362568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyoftheDawn/pseuds/LadyoftheDawn
Summary: Merlin was a sorcerer who owned a magic shop that he could not get out off (because magic bonded him with it).Also, it could travel to wherever it wanted around the world without Merlin's permission.Arthur was a customer, who just wanted to use the loo, locked himself up in the shop’s storage section, and, accidentally, traveled across the globe with the most powerful sorcerer to ever live.Chaos guarantee.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 88
Kudos: 210





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so much fun writing this.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> :)))

An old man, whose wrinkles suggest that he was pushing a hundred, swirled pink liquid in a vial he held swiftly then poured it into a phial he prepared. The wooden table he performed the task on was in a mess and the room smelled pungent from mixed chemicals. He closed the phial with a wooden cork, tied a red string around its curved neck, then write the name of the potion on a paper which was hanging down from the string.

He looked up at the ceiling where stars position was marked by ancient magic, it was a star map that was painted by a very powerful sorcerer. It’s not only showed all the important stars for many important rituals, but also their orbits and the real-time movement of them. On the map, Ignis, the star of fire, was almost swallowed up by Draconis, the star of the great dragon. Meant that he needed to close the shop soon.

Pushing the workshop’s door open, he entered the main room of his shop where a woman in about her thirties stood nearby the cashier counter. She wore an indigo dress which matched with her eyes colour and highlight her pale skin. Her black-wavy hair moved slightly as she moved her head to look up at him.

“Quick work as always, Merlin. Thank you” The dark hair woman spoke then gave a soft smile to him.

He smiled back and put the phial on the counter.

“Please do be careful with it, this potion is deadly.” He warned.

“Yes, I know, it has an evil potential. You don’t have to remind me every time I buy this.”

The old man scratched his chin and gave her a nervous smile. “Just to be sure.”

“Anyway, thank you, again.” She bent over the counter to kiss him on the cheek. “Have a nice day!”

As she pushed the shop’s door open, she turned around and asked.

“When will you leave this time? Soon I suppose?”

“Yes, you are my last customer.”

“Oh, lucky me.” She gave a playful smile then left.

Merlin tottered around the shop to make sure that it was empty. He noted in his head as he moved through each section;

Main room - checked  
Workshop - checked  
Storage room - checked  
Customer’s restroom - checked

When he was certain that there was no one left in the shop, he locked every window and secured the shop’s front door by magic which will fade away once the shop arrived at the new destination. When it was all taken care of. He went back to the workshop to check the stars position. Igni and Draconis were almost aligned, the shop would change its location any minute now, everything is just in time.

Merlin exhaled, he was sicked of having to live like this. Binding with the shop he grew up in and had to do everything to keep its secrets from non-magic customers while selling real magic items to magic users under their noses. It was so hard and exhausting.

When he flicked his fingers, his long hair shortened and darkened as the aging magic he casted in himself faded away. His white-long beard seeped back into his face, he was cleaned and shaven again. All wrinkles disappeared, returning him a soft, pale skin of a young man who hardly does outdoor activities. His back was not sore like it was going to snap in half anymore.

He stretched his body to get rid of the weird feeling from the transformation then dropped down on nearby sofa then closed his eyes and tried to relax. The tiredness of the day consumed him, and pulled him into a dreamless sleep, knowing that when he opened his eyes again he will be on the other part of the world.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

There was a sound from the storage section.

It was only five minutes passed after he had snuggled up in his comfy sofa when the suspicious noise woke him up from his peaceful nap. He reached for the broom that laid on the floor and held it tight as a weapon. He knew that his magic alone could handle almost everything in the world, but he felt more secured when he had something to hold.

Merlin got up as quiet as possible then crept to the storage section. A loud thud came with a sound that Merlin was certain it was of a young man. 

What if it was his enemy? What if he left one of the non-magic customers on board with him?!

His head ran wild, shivered ran down his spine, and his hands were cold like a dead fish. But then the door of the potion dumping room, which was a small room in the storage section, swung open.

And there stood, in front of him, a young man about his age, blonde hair, white skin (tanner than his), with a pair of enchanting blue eyes. The man stared at him with great confusion and so did Merlin. 

He really did forget one customer in his magic shop that could travel around the world with no indication where next destination will be! 

“Um...excuse me, can you move, I cannot get out of the toilet. You are in my way.” The blonde said to him. His word was polite but his gesture was somehow rude.

“What? Are you, wait...Toilet?” Merlin was confused even more than before. He knew that the potion dumping hole looked, somewhat, like a toilet but someone with an eye wouldn’t mistake it for an actual toilet.

The poor customer breath in, like he tried very hard to control himself. He spoke again, ridiculously slow, like when one was talking to a simpleton. 

“If you want to use the loo, you will need to step aside and let me out. So then you can get in. Understand?” 

Merlin, in shock state, nodded and stepped aside to let the man pass.

“Thank you.”

The man said sarcastically, looked at Merlin from head to toe, then strode outside.

“Wait!” Merlin screamed but the man was already out of the door.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

“Oh great, you still here.” The customer who stunk the shop’s storage said to Merlin as he walked back into the shop. “This is not London.” He pointed outdoor with his thumb.

Merlin stopped sweeping the floor that was already clean but did not dare look him in the eye. “What makes you say that?” he said, nonchalant, then continued sweeping the dust-free floor.

After the man left, Merlin rushed to the front door, wanted, so bad, to ran out and pulled him back in but he could not get out of the area of the shop since he was fifteen, it was the rule his father ordered him and he took it to his heart. So, he stayed inside and waited. He knew the blonde would come back because the place he looked out and saw was definitely not London anymore.

The blonde put a hand on his waist while another rubbing at his temple. “Well, first of all, people in my hometown don’t reply me in Japan when I ask them where am I.”

“And?” Merlin tried hard not to look guilty, he continued sweeping the floor that was already clean. His hands shook a little.

“And, clearly, I am in Japan!” The poor customer blurted out. Then he realized something and said. “Wait, do you work here? Did you and the old man abduct me?!”

The blonde looked troubled and angry. He looked like he grew a lot bigger, like a lion with standing mane.

“No, I didn’t!”

The poor customer didn’t please with the answer. He started yelling. 

“Then why the hell am I in Japan right now?!" 

“I...um…” Merlin scratched his chin, held the broom tighter then a plan came to him. But the problem was the man needed to be knocked out first. 

“I’m terribly sorry for this.” 

Merlin held the broom up high, ready to bash the man and knocked him out with one shot. Unfortunately, the man reflection was faster than him. He seized Merlin’s hand and stopped the deadly stick right before it hit his skull. He unarmed the shop owner then pushed him to the wall, locking his wrist at both side of his head. Merlin tried to get out, but he was weaker than this man who clearly hit the gym every fucking day.

“Do you really want to fight with me? I’ll let you think again.” He said as he tightened his grip on the gangly shop owner who struggled helplessly against the wall.

“Let me tell you something…” The man hissed through his gritted teeth near sorcerer’s ear. “...I could take you apart with one blow.” 

Merlin grunted at the pain on his wrist then chuckled. “I could take you apart with less than that.” 

The blonde frowned.

“ _Swefe nu._ ” Merlin chanted, his eyes glow gold.

The blonde hands turned jelly then also the rest of his body. He fell on the ground in front of the sorcerer and fell into a deep slumber.

Merlin exhaled in relieve. “Should have done that first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur woke up alone in a small room that smell a little funny. 

He was lying on something hard, like a wooden board, but it was high up from the ground so he assumed it must be a table. He tried to pull his hand up to rub at his throbbing head but found that he couldn’t. His wrists were being secured by ropes that was fastened to the table’s legs. His ankles were strapped too. 

Trying to tear it with all his strength, he found he couldn’t. The ropes were too thick to be break by any man.

After the third attempt of trying to break free, he gave up and decided to explore the room with his eyes instead. It was an odd room, in Arthur’s opinion. It was like a small apartment of someone who was a stranger to the word ‘tidiness’. Old clothes and strange science equipment spread around the room, it almost covered up all of the floor. The ceiling was weird looking and filled with stars that seemed to move on its own. On the other side of the room stood another wood table which had many phials that filled with bubbling liquid. Next to it was a brass head of a scary-looking dragon protecting an old bookshelf that was just below its fierce jaw. A red sofa rested its backs on the wall to his right, opposite the room’s door. A blue bean bag, which was the thing that look out of place, was in the middle of the room. 

He heard footsteps from outside, and it was getting louder and louder. Arthur shut his eyes abruptly, pretending he was still unconscious.

And then someone entered the room.

“God! What should I do now?” The voice murmured to himself.

It was the sweeper boy; he would recognize that voice anywhere.

He paced around the room for a while then come near the table Arthur was on, probably to check why he passed out for so long.

“Are you dead?”

He poked at Arthur’s forehead. It was a bit tickle but he lied still, waiting on for the right moment to attack.

The man came closer, checking his pulse and his breath. Arthur found that it was the right moment to attack, he head-butted the man with all the strength he had left. The man yelped and fell on his back, covering his head with both hands in pain. Arthur’s head throbbed as well, but he could not use his hand right now so he just lied back and waited for it to fade away.

“What was that for?!” The man on the floor sat up and grumbled. Still rubbing where he was struck.

“For kidnaping me! What the hell do you want from me? The company? It is my father’s company, not mine!” Arthur roared out. He was tired and confused and wanted to go home so bad.

“What, what company? What are you talking about? Could you stop being crazy for a minute? Ow my head.” Merlin rubbed his forehead.

“Then why did you tie me up like a pig, you evil boy!”

“I’m not an evil boy! Also, I have a name. It’s Merlin.”

“Well, _Merlin_ , why did you tie me with this damn table?!”

“Because you wouldn’t stop panicking, and I thought it would be easier if you-”

“are tied down and being helpless.” Arthur completed the sentence for him.

Merlin laughed drily. “Ah, when you put it that way...”

“Just tell me what, the bloody hell, is going on!” Arthur started yelling again.

“You won’t believe me.”

“Don’t presumption it yourself, try me. I’m all ears.”

“Alright then...ah, where should I start?” He got up, arranging his cloth then said. “You remember the old man whom you probably met when you entered this shop?”

“Old man, white, super long beard, red cloak, yes”

Merlin nodded. “Yup, that man. He is actually me. I mean, we are the same person.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “You were dressing up as an old man? This still doesn’t explain why I walked out of the toilet and suddenly in Japan.”

“Calm down, Jesus, I’m getting to it. And by the way, the room you assume it is a ‘toilet’ actually is my chemical dumping room. And thanks to you, now it stinks to high heaven.”

“What?!” Arthur’s eyes were as big as plates.

Merlin ignored him and continued. “I didn’t dress up as an old man. I transformed myself to be an old man, to gain customers trust, because some of them are a big-old-powerful wizard and everything and they don’t like the idea of ordering an idiot-looking boy to brew them potions” He made a disgusted face like he tasted something foul in his mouth.

“Hey, what do I look like to you? A five years old? I’m not buying that bullshit you just told me!”

“But I’m telling you the truth! I understand it is hard for you to believe, let me just show you then.”

Merlin flicked his fingers.

Every hair on his body turned white. His beard grew longer and longer until it was belly length. His face that was all smooth and young a second ago appeared hundreds of wrinkles. His back hunched and ached again. 

“See?” His voice was also matching with his appearance.

Arthur laughed.

“Have you gone mad?”

“Ah, sorry. I know this is a dream. A really weird one”

“No, it’s!-” 

Suddenly, Merlin realized it might be better if the man thought that this is all just a bad dream. He could make the man sleep again and locked him in this room while finding a way to traveled back to London. Then he will take the man back to his home. He would wake up in his bed and thought that he had slept all day long, and nothing had actually happened!

Merlin smiled and said. “Yes, you are in a dream. I’m not real, nothing here is real.”

“Well, this is fun. I enjoyed it, thank you Merlin, whoever you really are in my real life. Goodbye, for now.”

Then he started knocking his head on the table.

“What are you doing?” Merlin asked, confused at what the man was doing.

“Trying to wake up.” Arthur replied plainly.

“Stop! You’ll have brain damage.”

“Silly, I cannot get a brain damaged in my dream. Though, it starts hurting. Can you feel hurt in your drea-”

“ _Swefe nu!_ ” Merlin yelled.

Arthur drifted into sleep again.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur woke up in the same room.

His hands and legs were still being tied up. The only difference was his head was also strapped to the table as well.

“Oh, good, you are awake! I’m starting to worry about you taking the same spell in such a short period.” Merlin, in his young self again, spoke above him. 

“Why am I still here? And what have you done to my head?” He squeezed his eyes and groaned. 

“You banged your head on the table, remember? And because this is, actually, not a dream.” Merlin mumbled the last part of the sentence, but Arthur could hear it clearly in the silent room.

“This have to be a nightmare.”

“I wish it is too. I’m in a fucking deep shit right now. Let’s figure this out together, yeah?”

“Figure out what? And how can this be a real thing? Magic is not real!” Arthur struggled in the rope that he still couldn’t get rid of.

“It is! But we, the magic user, just never revealed ourselves. I’ll prove it, watch this.”

Merlin pointed his finger at the crimson red sofa and lifted it up by his mind and then, slowly, lowered it back to the ground.

Arthur smirked. 

“Hologram.”

“What? No! How about this then?”

Merlin clasped his palms together, whispered a spell, then open it up. On his hands, a red rose sat comfortably in the middle.

Arthur snorted.

“Seen it before. Just simple magic trick, and hey, if you want to hit on me you have to be a little more creative.” He paused a little. “And not strapping me down to a table.”

“I’m not hitting on you!” Merlin flushed. “Here, can your ‘magic trick’ do this?”

Merlin, who was, by this point, very much surprise at Arthur ignorance of magic, turned to the only wall decorator in the room, took a deep breath, and casted a spell he had mastered long ago. The brass dragon head made a cracking sound and, suddenly, it was alive.

The dragon yawned and purred. 

“Heaven, it’s been sooo long.” Its voice was deep and loud, echoing throughout the room. Merlin was shocked, not because the spell worked, but because...

“You can speak?” Merlin couldn’t believe his ears.

He had used this, very same, spell at many animal statues before, but never even once, that they were truly alive. 

They would move like ordinary animals. 

They would make ‘animal sound’ like ordinary animals.

They would walk around, fulfilled their purpose of being alive, and then turned back to their beginning state.

But they would NOT ‘speak’ human language.

“Oops, Grrr?” 

“Too late, I’ll deal with you later.” Merlin muted the talking dragon head with magic.

“Ha ha ha.” Arthur laughed sarcastically. “Are you done yet, I’m getting kind of bored here.”

Merlin snapped his head back to the man who just witness the wall decorator turn into a real dragon with him. “Seriously? Are you blind?!” Merlin started to yell for some reason. “I REALLY AM A SORCERER!”

The room burst into flame in mere second. Fire blasted out from every inch of the wall and it burnt everything in the room including the beanbag. The dragon didn’t seem to have any effect, though. He just looked around and nodded to himself like he was very much impressed by the show. Flames licked at Arthur’s skin and he couldn’t move away from it. He looked up, desperate to call for help, but the only person in the room that could help him was scarier than the surroundings. 

Merlin was floating in the air, his arms out-scratching. His eyes were brilliant gold and there was dark flames dancing in his eyes. Magic revolved around him in a form of glittery gold line. Arthur could feel the whole room shook by the outburst of the power from the man in front of him. Energy around him seemed to be in chaos it made his ears rung and his stomach felt sick. 

“Alright! Alright! I believed you!” He sputtered out.

Everything stopped and turned back to normal in the blink of an eye.

“Thank you.” Merlin, now back on the floor, said with an innocent smile.

Arthur panted. His heart raced like he ran for miles.

“Is there anything else I should know?” He asked, trying to not looking like a scared bunny.

“Oh, yes, of course.” Merlin sat up in the air, like an Indian magic man. He cleared his throat and said. “This shop is a magic shop. It will change its location every time those two stars align.” He pointed to the ceiling and Arthur looked. “I cannot control it. I was enslaved here. And I sell potions and magic stuffs to real magic user and fake magic equipment to other customers.”

Arthur nodded stupidly, still shocked by the whole thing.

“I don’t know how and when did you locked yourself in my chemical dumping room and peed on it. But now you stuck with me in Japan, without passport, means you are here illegally. So, I guess you needed to stay with me while hoping our next destination would be London again.”

Arthur swallowed. He wanted to scream so bad but he couldn’t.

“Okay.” 

“Right, so now that we get thing straight. I’ll let you go...but! Don’t run away, okay?”

“Yes, yes, I won’t.” Was what Arthur replied but his actual meaning was; yes, I will start running as soon as my legs are freed.

Merlin stared into his eyes, searching for a lie but with Arthur social skill which was planted by his father, he could conceal it without any trace at all.

When he was certain that Arthur would stay, he swirled his finger in the air and all the ropes united itself. 

“Farewell, evil sorcerer!” Arthur jumped to his feet and ran for the door.

His freedom. It was getting closer and closer!

Merlin didn’t even run after him.

Arthur grabbed the door knob...but he couldn’t open it.

“Let me out.” He growled and shook the door that was as still as stone.

“I’m afraid I cannot allow that. If you got back, the magic users in investigation team at the airport would suspect me. They will torture me for eternity if they know a non-magic-user customer knew my secret —no— the entire magic community secrets!”

“Let me out, you fucking lunati-!”

Merlin knocked him out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, Arthur was knocked out three times already and it's getting ridiculous.
> 
> This is the last time Merlin would do this to him, I promise. :)


	4. Chapter 4

“You are not getting away with all these things you’ve done to me.” Arthur said after he woke up for the fourth time that day.

He was restrained again, but now with a comfy beanbag. The ropes were soft, silk-like, and so comfortable he almost felt sorry he complained. Seemed like its purpose was just to keep him in place.

“Yes, I will if this thing works.”

Merlin gave no further information. He continued to skim over a massive leather-cover book on the table.

Arthur shifted in his seat. “Pray tell, what do you mean by that?”

Merlin looked up. “Well…” He walked over to Arthur, bringing the book along with him. “While you passed out, I did some research in my library. Do you know what I’ve discovered?”

“Please, be kind and tell me.” He said, sarcastically as always.

Merlin rolled his eyes. “I found a way to handle this shop! I mean, of all these years, my dad had never told me I am not supposed to just drift along with this headstrong shop. I can control it! When we arrive at London, I’ll brainwash you and send you home. Everything will be back to normal!”

“And you have never found this book before? You live here, how can you haven't found it already?”

“Well, I was busy...with something else. And it was like, millions of books in my library, how am I supposed to find it!” Merlin flung his hands up. “Also, this book is under the farthest shelf as well. If I didn’t trip on a mountain of books I dumped out earlier, I would never found it.”

“Idiot.” Arthur mumbled. He looked at the shelf that had only ten books. “That’s what you called ‘millions of books’?”

“Hey, I heard that. I’m helping you, clotpole! And, just so you know, there is a real library behind that shelf. It’s a secret door.”

“What did you just call me?”

“What? Clotpole? The word suit you perfectly doesn’t it?” Merlin snorted.

“That is insulting you oaf, stop it.”

Merlin didn’t stop. Instead, he leant in until he was a breath apart from the blonde then whispered. “Clotpole.”

Arthur roared in frustration. He lunged forward and tried to bite Merlin on his face because it was the only thing he could do. Merlin took a step back and got away with a victorious smile playing on his face.

“Anyway, here’s a thing, do you think I should concern about the fact that in this book, there’s a note, written in red ink, that read ‘DANGEROUS’ with all caps and in bold?”

Arthur exhaled. “No, Merlin, you shouldn’t be concern about that warning word, which, by the way, sound like the word that’s in the beginning of every bloody horror movie!”

“Yeah, you’re right…”

“Thank you.”

“...I should ignore it and try it anyway.”

“No! That’s not- Are you for real?!”

“Shut up, I need to concentrate.”

Merlin muted the blonde who was, now, throwing a tantrum in silence.

A circle of salt was drawn on the floor around where Merlin sat. He lit up one black candle and held it with both hand high above his head. He closed his eyes and said lines of the spell he remembered an hour ago.

Whispered of souls and many unexplainable things filled the room. Arthur shivered as the room temperature suddenly dropped. The dragon on the wall prey with Merlin, his eyes were also shut tight.

Arthur watched the ritual, awestruck, until he felt that the rope was loosening around his wrists and ankles. Merlin gave full concentration on the ritual, so his magic on Arthur was pulled away. Arthur got up, as quiet as possible. He tip-toed behind the sorcerer, picked up a broom from the floor, and strike it at Merlin’s head. 

Merlin stiffen up then fell forward with a loud thud. The flickering flame of the candle was suddenly put out and the salt circle was ruined by Merlin’s out stretching arms.

Black smoke oozed out from Merlin’s body.

Arthur stepped closer. He reached his hand towards Merlin’s body and was about to ask him if he alright. Because, normally, the person who got smack in the head wouldn’t leak dark matters. 

“What the bloody hell had you done!”

“Merlin!” Arthur jumped by the sound behind him.

It was Merlin... 

...in a ghost form!

“Why on earth did you kill me? I was helping you, you prat! Do you know how many customers have I lost during I’m figuring out how to take you back to London? Two! I missed two freakin' customer! Do you even understand how much I have lost? How much people in magic society has los--”

“Whoa, whoa, wait. Are you dead?” Arthur asked, couldn’t believe his own eyes.

“Well, yes! Thank you for asking!” Merlin yelled in reply.

“I killed a man?! Oh god, I’m so, so, sorry. I just thought-- I was just planning to knock you out so I can escape! No, no, no. This is a nightmare...Wait your soul is still here. Do you think CPR will help? Let’s try!”

Arthur turned Merlin’s body over and blew air in his cold mouth then pumped his chest and then back to his mouth again.

Merlin, who never learned how to do CPR before, watched in puzzlement and a little shock.

“Stop kissing my corpse, you twisted pervert!” He cried, but he couldn’t touch Arthur in this form so his transparent hands were only swooping back and forth through the blonde.

“I’m trying to help you here. It’s called CPR, you idiot!” Arthur said between the second round of pumping his chest.

“Sea what?” Merlin was in utter confusion. But he got the idea now, the man who murdered him a second ago was trying to bring him back to life again by some weird method. He jumped in front of Arthur who’s busing himself with his purplish mouth and said in serious tone. “Listen, listen to me. If you want my soul to connect back in my body, place both of your hand on my stomach, close your eyes and say this with me, O the earth, O the sky-- say it!”

Arthur frowned. He was torn between keep performing CPR or following Merlin’s instruction. At the end, he believed the sorcerer. 

“Fine! But if you die, it’s not my fault. O the earth, O the sky.” He said, eyes already closed.

“The world will cry, without him...”

“What an actual hell is this?!”

“It’s a resurrection spell, hell, now we have to start over! O the eart-”

“Shut up! I remember it. O the earth, O the sky, the world will cry without him.”

“Bring him back, fill his soul, Rid of all this awful woe.”

“Bring him back, fill his soul, Rid of all this awful woe.” Arthur repeated.

There was a golden ball floated out of Merlin ghost and dashed back into his body. Arthur didn’t notice it, though, because his eyes were shut tight.

“Is that it? Does it work?”

Merlin cleared his throat. It took some time for his soul to fully connect back to his body, so he got time to spare.

“No, just a few steps to go. Now put your hands up and clap three times.”

Arthur obeyed.

“Then open your eyes and dance on your right leg around my body.”

“What?! Are you for real?”

“It’s part of the ritual! Quick, I’m fading away!”

Merlin dimmed his spirit power so that it looked like he was really fading away and Arthur opened his eyes just in time to see it.

“Fine. Fine. Fine. I’m doing it, hold on!”

“Now roll on you back, bark three times, and flick your forehead, then it’s done.”

“Wha-”

“Don’t, just do it!”

“Alright, alright. Stop yelling at me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I panicked. What’s the big deal, right? I’m just DYING!”

Arthur rolled on the floor and barked, three times in total.

Merlin tried so hard not to laugh out loud. He bit his lower lips so hard it would bleed if he was not a ghost.

When Arthur opened his eyes again, Merlin jumped back into his body, he almost couldn’t conceal the smile in time.

Merlin, now back in his body, inhaled sharply like he would take all the air in the room in his lung and flung his eyes open.

“Ha, It work!”

Arthur grabbed the sorcerer shirt’s collar and hauled him up into a hug.

Merlin froze. He didn’t know how to react for a while. The hug was warm and comforting even though it was from a total stranger, which was odd. He felt familiar with this hug, too familiar. At the end he patted on Arthur’s back a couple of time.

“Yeah...I’m back.”

Arthur, who had just remembered he hated the sorcerer, pulled back and cleared his throat. He didn’t know what to do with his hand so he patted Merlin on his face awkwardly.

“You’re back.” Arthur pulled his hand back when he realized he was still patting at Merlin’s face. “I’ll find you something warm for you to drink...if you want, of course.”

He hated the sorcerer, but he didn’t have that cruel heart. Also, he needed an excuse to go somewhere else outside of this room anyway.

“I can magically bring food from restaurants around here into the shop.”

“Convenient.” Commented Arthur.

Merlin closed his eyes then open it again a second later.

“It should be waiting outside right now, would you mind?”

“I’ll get it.” Arthur answered far too quickly and strode out of the room. 

But instead of a nice-warm food, he found a bunch of coconut lied around the shop.

“Hey, Merlin, can you change the restaurant? I don’t know how to cut open coconuts by hand.” He yelled to the room while frowning at coconuts that appeared from thin air.

“What?”

Arthur eyes roamed at coconuts then stop at the shop’s glass door.

The view outside that used to be the busy street of Japan turned out to be a clean shoreline with white sand and beyond it was a boundless ocean.

“Merlin!”

Merlin stumbled across the room, stood beside the blonde, put his hand on the man’s shoulder to prevent himself from falling because his legs were unsteady, and stared at the scene. He rubbed it to make sure he saw it right.

“Look what you have done!”

He grabbed at Arthur’s shirt weakly.

Arthur, whose head bobbed back and forth by the way Merlin shook him constantly, asked in hopeful voice. “You can perform the ritual again, right?”

Merlin stopped shaking him and stared into his eyes, dead serious. “No! It can only perform once a year!”

Then he moaned and slid down into a heap of mess on the floor.

“Shit.” Was all Arthur could say.

The warlock reached for a coconut that was in reach and threw it at Arthur.

Arthur seized it midair while looking at the sea wide-eyed.


	5. Chapter 5

Arthur looked at the calm ocean. Wind licked at his skin and the sound of seagulls brought him back to his old days on summer vacation with his friends when he had nothing to worry about and everything was new and fun. All of this would make him feel at ease if it’s not for the fact that this place was an isolated island where a hope for someone to rescue him was near zero and beside him, sat odd man who possessed a kind of magic which could end him with a snap of his fingers.

“I hate this place.” He concluded out loud.

“Well, thanks to you, now we have to wait for those stars to align which is only on god-knows-when hour!” Merlin replied. He sat beside Arthur, shoulder to shoulder, at the entrance of the shop.

An hour ago, they discovered that the Stars Clock had stop working and had no idea of when was the next time location of the shop would change. Arthur suggested that they should slap it like an old telly and see if it going to work again. Merlin almost slapped him instead.

Also, now, the shop had one giant rock pierced up in the middle because it landed right on it.

“You really don’t have to bring that up all the time you know?” Arthur sighed. “But it’s impressive that you can put it in every single sentence you say, though.”

“Thank you, hey, Arthur, you know what?”

“What?”

“We stuck on this god forsaken island because of you!”

“Hey, you can’t blame it on me! You are the one who look suspicious and acting like a madman. I’m just scared and act on an impulse. Like any other victim would do.”

Merlin used magic to pour salted water from the sea down on Arthur’s head. He laughed when Arthur jumped up to his feet.

“Jesus! That’s cold!”

Arthur took off his jacket and threw it on the floor. He turned and squinted his eyes like a predator at Merlin. 

The smile faded from the sorcerer’s face. “Oh, that does not look good.”

Arthur launched forward and pressed Merlin on the floor, putting both of Merlin’s hand above his head. Merlin squirmed desperately under Arthur’s iron grip. He used the other hand to pick up the jacket he threw away a second ago and smeared the wet fabric all over Merlin’s face. 

Merlin went still.

He felt like he had experienced this before, from a long time ago. At that time, he was cleaning someone’s bedroom floor. The room owner, shirtless room owner to be more specific, stomped on the scrubbed floor and used the wet-dirty piece of cloth to wipe at his face. That room’s owner look a lot like Arthur.

“Would you like me to show you how to use the bucket?” Arthur said then confused by his own question. He frowned. “Wait, where was that sentence come from?”

Something that felt like a memory ran continuously in Merlin’s head. He said the following thing that he remembered in the never-happened-event. “And I will say no, but you will put a bucket full of water on my head anyway then knock it two times, Right?”

Arthur was dumbstruck, he felt like he’s having a Deja vu. “What have you done to my head? Why I feel like I’ve done this with you before?!”

“You feel it too?” Merlin asked. 

“This is weird. Stop using your magic to create a false memory on me, evil sorcerer!” Arthur scolded back.

“I’m not!”

Arthur shook his head to rid of the weird feeling then continued to cleanse Merlin’s face with his expensive jacket.

“Stop, stop, stop! I surrender.” Merlin said while struggling on the floor.

The blonde let him go and sat at he same spot as before. Merlin scooted away to a safe distance then grumbled quietly.

Arthur sighed. “Look on the bright side. Think of this as your never-had vacation.”

“Vacation my arse.” Merlin said, looking away.

“Hey, stop complaining like an old man, would you? Here, come out and enjoy the view!” Arthur grabbed him at his wrist and pulled him out.

“No! Arthur, stop! I really can’t get out, the shop will- noooo!” Merlin screamed. He tried to make himself as heavy as possible by lying flat on the floor but he was only two inches away from the shop entrance. Arthur almost didn’t have to put in any effort on hauling a lean man like him out of the door. 

Merlin squeezed his eyes when his whole body was completely outside, waiting for the magic to flung him back in. He expected pain but nothing came to him. He opened his lids slowly.

“Come on, don’t be dramatic.” Upside-down Arthur spoke above him.

Merlin scrambled to his feet. His eyes widened in shock. “But how? It shouldn’t- I shouldn’t be able to leave the shop!”

“You just did.” Arthur gestured at him lying on the white sand.

“I just did!” Merlin exclaimed.

He was so excited he jumped around like a six-year-old in toys store. He grabbed a handful of sand and sprinkled it around. His eyes glittered under the midday sun. 

Arthur snorted and smiled but suppressed it a second later.

“I don’t know how you did it but thank you!!!”

Merlin jump-hugged him and kissed him on the cheek then let go and went for the crystal-clear sea.

Arthur touch at the spot that was touched by Merlin’s soft lips lightly, his eyes following the said man who ran along the shore like a sugar rush kid while playing with crashing waves all the way.


	6. Chapter 6

Merlin sat on the wet white sand, gasping for breath. He was wet from head-to-toe by the freezing water, the cold breeze from the ocean made him shiver even more but he had never felt this happy and free in his life.

Arthur strolled along the shoreline and met him at the spot he sat. The blonde dropped to his knee and sat down not far from him. 

“Look like you owe me once.” Arthur said to the clear blue sea.

Merlin took a deep breath of fresh air and closed his eyes, smile playing on his lips.

“It would be really nice if this island doesn’t have a cabbage head on it.” 

“What? Where?” Arthur looked around, his eyes seeking the said cabbage.

Merlin snorted and shook his head.

Arthur suddenly got the joke and he slapped Merlin’s head for that.

“Ow!”

Merlin groaned and covered his head with both of his hands. Arthur laughed at him.

“Don’t be such a girl, Merlin. I didn’t hit you that hard.”

Merlin didn’t stop. He curled up and twisted in pain on the sand. 

“Wait, you are not kidding? Don’t die now, I still need you to take me home!”

Arthur looked left and right, no one was in his sight. No doctor, no hospital, or anything at all that could aid the man. He didn’t know what to do.

“Merlin! Jesus! Don’t die yet. Do you have a bed or anything?”

“Sofa…” Merlin managed to speak through his trembling lips.

“Yeah, that’ll do.”

Arthur lifted him up. Both of them were soaking wet, and the contact of their skin were cold and slippery. Another surged of crazy headache hit Merlin. He clenched his fist which was gripping Arthur’s shoulder harder, whimper slipping out of his mouth. Arthur held him tighter. Merlin whole body was almost buried into the blonde’s broad chest, hoping that, somehow, the contact would share the pain and made it more bearable.

“Hold on.” Arthur said while sprinting back into the shop.

He placed Merlin on the sofa. Adjusting a pillow to support the sorcerer’s head and rid of his shoe, trying to make everything as comfortable as he could. 

Merlin buried his face in the pillow.

“What can I do? Do you want anything? Can I get you something?”

“Please shut up.” The pain could be heard in Merlin’s voice. “I’m sorry but, really, just shut up.”

“Okay, okay.”

Arthur sat still.

The headache eased off to something more tolerable. Merlin didn’t feel like he was about to drop dead anymore but the cramping was still there, lingering on his forehead. His voice was labored when he said.

“Could you, hold me?...My hand, I mean.”

“Okay.” Arthur said, uncertain of how to do it properly because showing affection was something he had been running away from since forever. Because every relationship he had been in didn't end up well, even the one with his family members. Especially the one with his father.

He reached in gradually. Merlin seized the hand and clung to it like it was a life line.

Arthur sat in an extremely awkward position but he didn’t dare to move.  
He scared he would make the headache worsen. Merlin noticed that. He was also felt weird, but he didn’t feel like letting go of the hand, which was the thing he felt safe having. He tried killing the silence.

“Is this what a woman feels when she’s in laboring room with his husband?”

He suddenly wished he remained silent.

Arthur looked at him with a pair of judging eyes. 

Merlin stuttered “Oh, I didn’t mean- I just-”

“Just, shut up.” 

Merlin made a motion that he was using an invisible zip to shut his mouth. He closed his eyes again, trying to meditate. Arthur sat there, patiently. Every so often Merlin would squeeze his hand when the ache erupted then let go a minute later. 

When Merlin’s breathing became more constant, Arthur examined his relax-sleeping face. He reached in to sweep away droplets of water on his forehead, and that was when he discovered that the sorcerer’s forehead was hot like a burning coal. 

“Hey, young king, this way.”

Arthur startled by the sound of someone in the room. There was no one in his sight. He shifted to cover the sick man behind him, ready to defend him from what to come.

“Where are you? What do you want?”

“I’m up here.”

Arthur followed the sound and stared eyes to eyes with a talking dragon head.

“Hello again, once and future king.” The dragon greeted him.

“Once and future king?”

“It’s you.”

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. “No, you must have mistaken me for someone else.”

“I’m never wrong.” The dragon replied confidently.

“But you are!” Arthur pointed out. “Look, I don’t have time for this. Do you have an idea what I can do to help him?”

“You can start by kissing him on the lips.” The dragon said, nonchalance.

“Excuse me?!”

“I’m being serious, it will help ease his pain. He will experience this kind of headache again in the future and all you have to do is to kiss him every time it happens.”

“And why should I believe you? I mean, come on, this is not a fairy tale.”

“I am not messing with you. I cannot tell you the reason right now, but you have to believe me, young king. I’m far too old to joke around.” The dragon face was death-serious despite that thing he just said which sound absolutely ridiculous.

“There must be another way to help him. He just has a headache, for god’s sake! Watch and learn, wall decorator, I will healed him by ‘realistic’ way.”

Arthur ignored the dragon’s instruction for one whole hour. He found Merlin’s clothes in storage section and changed him into something drier. He also found a blanket which he wrapped the sorcerer in a minute later. 

He even tried the resurrection spell he learnt earlier that day, knowing it was for ‘resurrection’ not pain relieve but he couldn’t help trying it. Merlin didn’t wake up to any of that and his condition was worsening. He snuggled up to the pillow, his body trembling from losing of heat. His skin was even paler than before.

Arthur covered his eyes and groaned, admitted defeat. “Fine, I’ll kiss him! But if he wakes up and scolds at me, I will blame it entirely on you.” He said to the dragon.

The dragon yawned then nodded. “Go ahead.”

Arthur propped himself above Merlin, using a hand to gently turn the sorcerer’s head to make the angle just right then pressed his mouth on him. It was just a chaste kiss. Arthur had kissed many people in more intimate, more passionate way than this, but nothing could compare to what he was experiencing. The feeling he couldn’t describe surging inside him. It twisted and warmed his heart at the same time. It almost like he was craving for this, for these lips, for this body. Ever so slightly of the touch was enough to ignite flame inside of him. Tear formed in his eyes uncontrollably.

Merlin blinked his eyes a couple of time before he was fully conscious. Arthur jerked back up. But still sitting at the same position, close to Merlin. He was waiting for the man beneath him to tell him that the kiss gave him the same feeling. The same longing he felt in his heart. 

Merlin pushed him away by his chest.

“What the bloody hell you think you’re doing?!”

“I-” Arthur was at a loss for words. 

“I don’t know what your problem is, but you can’t bloody kiss me every time I close my eyes!” 

Arthur stood up. All of the good feelings vanished away in mere second. “I didn’t want to kiss your- your insipid mouth! The dragon told me to do it!” He pointed at the dragon who didn’t seem to bother by the accusation. 

“And it works. How’s your head, young warlock?” The dragon turned to ask.

“It’s...” 

Merlin felt relieve, his head was clear and as light as feathers. He had never felt this good in ages but he did not plan to admit that out loud. He felt insulted. “It’s fine now. But that doesn’t prove anything. This must be because of the meditation and a good sleep.”

“Keep on believing that and we’ll see.” Said the dragon.

“We’ll see! And you,” Merlin pointed at Arthur. He was so humiliated by the whole situation and desperately wanted to go back to his normal-boring life. “After you showed up my life was a mess! My shop is ruined, my life is ruined, everything is ruined! An hour ago, my head hurted like it was going to explode. My magic clock had stopped working and now my talkative wall decorator told a total stranger to kiss me! I should have ended you and none of this would have happen! Don’t follow me I need some time alone.”

Merlin stood up and stomped his feet towards the exit.

“Hey, is this the way you treat someone who helps you?!”

“He’s not a total stranger. He’s your soulmate.” The dragon informed.

“Sod off!” Merlin yelled from the door and slammed it shut behind him.

“He didn’t mean it. That kid, he would never harm anyone. He’s not in his right mind, that’s all.” The dragon sighed. “Don’t be mad at him. He needed you more than he realizes and you need to help him. This shop is really not his place to live for a lifetime.”

Arthur dropped on the sofa, crossing his arms. 

“I don’t care! I just need him to take me home and after that I wish I’d never see him ever again!”


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur didn’t know when he fell asleep. He woke up on the same sofa and by his side, on the wall, the dragon was meditating. He rubbed his eyes and stretched to rid off the pain that was from sleeping in a weird position. 

He stood up and walked outside to see it was dark already.

“Merlin.” He called and yawned.

There was no answer from inside of the shop and when he walked around, he couldn’t find the sorcerer anywhere.

Arthur popped his head outside and called out again, no answer still.

His heart started to drum.

He rushed back to the room he just came out.

“Hey, Mr. Dragon, wake up!”

Arthur tapped at the dragon’s snout.

The dragon inhaled sharply then open his gold-gleaming eyes.

“My name is Kilgharrah.”

“Have you seen Merlin come back inside?”

“I haven’t.”

“Shit.” Arthur disoriented his hair. “It’s pitch black outside. He might have got eaten by...what kind of animal lives on islands...crabs? He might have got eaten by crabs already!”

Kilgharrah made a odd face. “I doubt that. But you should still look for him.” The dragon gestured the man to come nearer. “This will guide you to him.”

The dragon opened his wide teeth-filled mouth to let a sizzling purple ball of magic float out. It glow so bright that everything in the room turned violet. It revolved around Arthur then drifted outside.

Arthur looked at it, then back at the dragon, then back at the ball again.

“What are you waiting for? Follow it!” The dragon commanded.

Arthur said “Oh.” and rushed behind it.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Like heaven hated him, the downpour started as soon as he stepped outside.

The glowing light from the magic ball was harder to see in the pouring rain but Arthur managed to stumble not far behind it.

He was wet throughout again. His shirt hung heavily on his shoulder.  
In front of him, he saw a silhouette of something. At first, he thought it was a pile of junk but as he approached nearer and nearer, the junk turned to be trembling Merlin on the floor. He groaned and pulling at his hair with both of his hands.

“Merlin!” Arthur cried.

Merlin didn’t seem to hear him. Arthur sat down and turned him over so he was on his back on the sand. 

“Merlin, can you hear me?!” He continued to yell.

Merlin could barely open his eyes, but when he did, he pulled Arthur’s collar down and made their lips connected. Arthur was shock but relaxed to the sensation a minute later. Their eyes were not close but stared at each other. Merlin’s eyes were dazzling gold and it almost shone out like a pair of flashlights. Arthur felt bewitched by it. He stared and stared while devouring the warlock’s lips like he did this a thousand times already. He felt like he was home. As time passed by, the gold in Merlin’s eyes slowly turned back to deep blue. Merlin let go of Arthur’s shirt then pulled away. He lied flat on the floor, panting and closing his eyes again, but not shaking anymore.

The magic ball, which Arthur suddenly remember its presence, caught the corner of his eyes. It called him, not in word but in some way he couldn’t describe. It was gently telling him to follow it again.

Arthur carefully lifted Merlin up from the sand and held him tight. Merlin held on to him tighter. The ball floated and they followed.

They ended up in front of a cave not far away. It was much drier inside that cave and the sound of the drenching rain seemed softer. He put Merlin down and sat close to him then rubbed his hands together to rid of the sudden cold. Merlin sat shivering beside him.

“ _Forbearnan_.” Merlin whispered.

“What did you say? Oh-” 

The rock in front of them caught on fire like a giant coal and the cave was suddenly warm.

Merlin rested his back on the cave wall. His face was pale.

“Should we go back to the shop?” Merlin asked, eyes half-shut.

“I don’t think it’s wise to go back now.”

All of a sudden, a powerful lighting struck on nearby coconut tree and it was so loud they both shrink.

Merlin swallowed then said. “Right, let's wait for a while.” 

Arthur nodded rapidly in agreement while looking at a trail of smoke coming out of the coconut tree.

“Hey.” Merlin said and Arthur turned to him. “Thank you...for looking for me.”

Arthur cleared his throat. “I um…still need you to perform the ritual. That’s why. Nothing more. It’s not like I’m concerning about you or anything.”

“Oh.” was all Merlin could respond.

There was a moment of awkward silent. Merlin was the first one who broke eye contact and looked at his feet.

“Your eyes are gold again.” Arthur said, hoping to kill the uncomfortable atmosphere surrounding them.

“Really? Normally, It only happens when I use magic.” Merlin touched the corner of his eyes gently and looked back up at the blonde again.

“It doesn't completely change, though. Just the rim of it that is gold, the inner area is still blue.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow then nodded.

“How did you end up in this shop anyway? If I were you, the moment I knew I was going to be bonded with this freakin' shop, I would run away to the other side of the world without a second thought.”

Merlin sighed, fidgeting with his fingers. “It is my destiny. You know, you can’t run away from your destiny, my father always said that.” He chuckled at the memory of those old days when his father was still with him. “Do you know what the weirdest part is? I can’t recall a single thing that happened before I was fifteen, before I was bond to the shop, I mean. Now that you broke my shop, I seem to remember some of them, only faintly, which is odd but in a good way.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I used to ask my father once when I was younger and he said I hit my head on the floor while I was playing with friends and I have an amnesia since then. That’s when he decided to lock me up in the shop and teach me family’s business.”

“Locked you up?!”

“It’s not as bad as it sound! I mean, he was nice to me and treated me like a decent father should do, no torturing or anything, but just forbade me strictly from stepping outside the shop's door. For my safety, I guess.” 

Arthur looked at the man beside him like he was the weirdest person he has ever met. “I don’t know who’s crazier, you or your father.”

“Hey!” Merlin pinched him in the arm. “That’s my father you’re talking about!”

Arthur rubbed at his arm and shook his head.

“What so great about being outdoor then? Tell me one good reason. I know knocking myself to amnesia on the floor isn’t one of them” Merlin asked.

“Only YOU can be such a fool enough to knock yourself and got amnesia while playing outdoor with friends! I can tell you more than one. First, you got to socialize with friends…”

Merlin snorted. “My friends are sucks. I don’t remember them, but I believe they are all sucks. They never visit me! Ever!”

“...Second, it is healthy to bath in morning sun and breath natural air outside buildings…”

“I can bath the sun ray at the window from inside and the air in the shop are from outside too.” Merlin raised his eyebrow challengingly.

“Jesus, I can’t believe you!”

“Then don’t!”

They both huffed at each other and sat by their back resting together until they fell asleep.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Somehow, in the middle of the night, Merlin slid down and Arthur shifted and it ended up like this;

Merlin’s head was resting on Arthur’s lap. He hugged one of the blonde hand tight. Saliva drooled over his moth and laned on Arthur’s pants, creating one dark spot on it.

Arthur woke up to discover it first.

He only got about two seconds to examine Merlin’s relaxing face before the man, who cut off his right arm circulation, inhaled sharply and woke up.

Arthur shut his eyes abruptly.

Merlin took around ten seconds to fully aware of his position then got up quickly like his head was resting on a hot pot.

Arthur slowly cracked his lids open and pretended to yawn.

“The rain has stopped.” Merlin said, scratching his head. His hair was a mess Arthur needed to stop himself from reaching out and untangle it with his hand.

Arthur nodded instead.

“We should head back.” Merlin continued.

“We should.”

Merlin got up and almost ran out of the cave.

When they arrived at the shop’s entrance, Arthur walked right into Merlin with close eyes because he was still sleepy and because Merlin, for some reason, was frozen there, staring at something inside the shop.

“What the-”

“Arthur, look!” Merlin fumbled his hand on Arthur’s arm to shoved him forward.

He pointed at the stone, that has been in the middle of the shop since the day they arrived, with trembling hand.

“What the bloody hell is that? Is that a...a sword?”

It was a sword, half-buried in the stone. A magnificent hand-crafted sword that was, somehow, radiating energy like the one he felt when Merlin using his magic. There was something carved on its fuller and guard, but he couldn’t read it from where he stood, but it glowed like it was telling its existence was the reason why the sword felt alive and magical. 

“Excalibur.”

Merlin whispered and then it was all makes sense why the sword looked so legendary.

Excalibur...the sword that everyone knew its name, even Arthur, who did not listen much in history class.

The sword that shouldn’t be real.

It was before their eyes right now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! :)


	8. Chapter 8

They slowly made their way towards the glowing sword in the stone. The closer they were to the sword, the faster their heart beat. 

“Stop.” Merlin said abruptly when they were about a foot away from the sword.

“We don’t know whether this thing is evil or not. Wait here, I’ll go talk to the dragon.” Merlin jogged away from Arthur and before he was fully disappeared into the room, he turned back and pointed a finger at Arthur. “DON’T MOVE.” then he was completely gone.

Arthur sighed. Standing there, he could hear the sword screeching in high pitch sound and it was constantly rung in his ears. It’s true that the sword looked scary but he got a feeling that it was not wicked, and it was crying for him to take it from the stone. 

Arthur took a step closer. He could hear an indistinct sound from the other room where Merlin was consulting with the dragon and his heartbeat that was getting louder and louder. 

The sword glowed warmer and the sound it made grow softer and sweeter in his ears.

He carefully wrapped his palm around its grip then pulled it out of the stone effortlessly. The grinding sound from the fraction between the shining sword and the stone echoed throughout the shop. 

When the tip of the sword slid free from the stone, the cry stop.

“Ha, I thought it would be more challenging.” Arthur mumbled to himself.

Merlin snuck his head out from the room he was in. 

“What was that sound?” He looked at Arthur then his hand. “Did you just pull the legendary sword out of the magic stone?”

Arthur weighted the sword in his hand. Its aura expanded and made his body glow just like the sword but he didn’t notice that.

“Come on, It’s not that hard.” He said then swayed it around like a skilled knight.

“No, it’s not hard. It’s impossible!” Merlin gaped at him. “The only person who can pull it out is supposed to be the legendary King Arthur himself!”

Arthur shrugged. He pierced the sword back into the stone then pulled it out again as easily as the first time he did it.

“Maybe the legend was wrong?”

Merlin took a step closer to him, but still keeping the distance between them. “No! Don’t you understand? You are him! Reincarnation or something…I don’t know. But YOU ARE the King from the legend!”

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“Are you suggesting that...Fuck!”

Before he could finish the sentence, he felt a sharp pain on his hand. 

The blade had cut right in the middle of his palm while he was absent-minded. The wound was not deep, but a trail of crimson liquid steamed down from his hand endlessly in a ridiculous amount.

“The hell?” Arthur said and fell on his knee. The blood lost had made him felt dizzy and his legs unsteady.

Merlin's eyes widened. “Arthur!”

He rushed in, grabbed at the sword, and threw it away. But, maybe because of the shock or his usual carelessness, he seized it the blade, hard, and it made him bleed too.  
Arthur watched him drop on the floor with hooded eyes.

“Idiot...What kind of person...grabbed the sword that was obviously sharp, judging by me who was bleeding to death on the floor right in front of you, on the bloody blood cover blade?!”

Merlin moaned in pain for a respond.

Arthur exhaled, long, then his vision turned black.

He swore the last sound he heard was of Merlin passed out by his feet.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Arthur opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was; he wasn’t on the shop floor anymore.

He was in an entire different place.

His back rested on something hard like a wooden board. The wounded on his hand had healed for some reason, and it left an ugly scar. It’s not hurting anymore but the wound felt warm like it wanted to remind him of its presence.

He looked around and realized he was, actually, sitting with his back rested on the end of someone’s fancy bed.

It was dark outside, judging by the darkness outside an ancient-looking window on his right. The room was only dimly lit by tall candle holders around the room.

His gaze roamed about the place and stopped at a figure, sitting on the ground, not far from him. 

It was Merlin!

He seemed a little different when Arthur last saw him, though. He dressed like he was in the medieval period and he was oiling a sword dexterously, like it was his usual job to do so.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” Arthur asked. His voice was loud in the silent chamber.

But Merlin didn’t answer.

Merlin didn’t even seem to notice his presence.

Arthur stood up made his way towards Merlin then crouched down in front him.

Merlin looked up.

“Where are we?” Arthur asked.

Merlin's answer was nothing but silence.

“Look, I know you are mad that I pulled the sword out instead of standing there and doing nothing, but we don’t have time for this silent treatment, alright? The shop sent us somewhere weird again, shouldn’t we find the way out? Hey, Merlin! Where are you going?”

Merlin got up and walked right through him, without kicking him, like his existence was unreal.

“What the-?”

Arthur’s shocking gaze followed Merlin, who was making his way to a person on the fancy bed. The person that sent a shiver down Arthur’s spine a second later after he hurried up to his feet and strode behind the sorcerer.

It was him!

The person sleeping on the bed was a hundred percent identical copy of him.

Merlin laid the sword on the nightstand and turned to adjust the blanket on ‘another him’ who was sleeping soundly on the bed.

“Who is this? Merlin, what’s going on? Talk to me!”

Arthur reached out and tried to shook Merlin’s shoulder, to get his attention, but his hand could not do such thing.

Silent Merlin looked at his identical twin on the luxurious bed with fondness. His mouth curved into a soft smile that made Arthur’s heart skipped a beat.

Then, to his surprise, Merlin bent down to leave a kiss on his twin’s forehead. 

His twin shifted and turned away to the other side they were standing but didn't wake up.

Merlin’s cheeks turned red like he had just realized what he had done. He scurried out of the room in an immediate.

“Wait!” Arthur yelled to Merlin’s back though he knew Merlin couldn’t hear him.

He heard another shifted from the bed, so he turned to look.

His twin was smiling passionately at the door which Merlin was just shut behind him less than a minute ago. His pink cheeks suggested he was fully conscious when the sorcerer gave him a gentle kiss, and he liked it. A lot.

Somehow, it effected Arthur’s cheek’s to turned red too.

But then the world shifted and Arthur was, once again, blacked out on the floor.


	9. Chapter 9

Arthur opened his eyes just in time to see an axe flew directly his way, and it would certainly chopped his nose off if he had not duck his head on time.

Crouching on the forest floor, he could see a small combat in front of him, the kind of combat that include axes and swords. One group of people dressed poorly and had scars all over their bodies like a group of thugs. Their opponent was his twin in knight hauberk with the sword shining in his hands. Horses whine nervously all around them and some ran away into the deeper part of the forest. 

His twin wielded the sword around. Every strike had its purpose. He took down the thugs one by one with an impressive speed. 

Arthur felt weirdly proud of himself.

A movement caught at the corner of his eyes, so he turned to look. It was a thug, one of the biggest among them, stalked behind his twin while he was busy with the another thug.

“Behind me! No, I mean, behind you!”

“ _Wáce ierlic!_ ” A familiar voice screamed from somewhere not far from him and it gave him goosebumps. 

There’s no one in the world who’d heard the words and didn’t know that these were the words of magic. 

The spell blew at the sneaky thug. It sent him flying and knocked him to his death against a massive tree.

When Arthur in chainmail took care of all other the thugs in two seconds later, he turned to the direction where the incantation came from.

Arthur in simple T-shirt turned to look with him and founded that it was Merlin who did it. His hand was still reaching out to where the unfortunate thug lied.

Merlin didn’t dare to move. Arthur also noticed that he was shivering like a tiny chihuahua. 

Merlin and Arthur's twin looked at each other while panting.

Merlin started. “I’m sorry, Arthur, I’ve been trying to tell you many times, but-”

The man with the sword in his hand gradually stepped closer to Merlin. The expression on his face was cold and distant.

“I- I-” Merlin stuttered out, almost crying.

Suddenly, Arthur’s face relaxed. He pulled Merlin into an amorous hug. Merlin just stood there. He didn’t hug back but didn’t push away either.

“You just save my life.” His twin said.

Merlin sobbed.

“Thank you.”

Arthur pulled apart just a little and then they kissed. Soft and soothing. Merlin closed his eyes and leant on Arthur’s chest. They were too busy kissing to see a golden strand, appearing out of nowhere, encircling them and bound them together then disappeared.

When they opened their eyes again, the strand had long gone. 

Arthur, who was confused more than ever, stood there silently. He started to think that he was either dreaming or had already died and currently having a hallucination. An extremely vivid one.

Can souls even hallucinate? He wondered.

A sprinkle of golden dust landed upon his forehead. He paused his thought for a moment then touch the shiny dust. It stuck on his finger.

He looked up and, suddenly, more sprinkle poured down from the sky. 

The downpour of golden sprinkles blinded him completely.

When it faded, his ears were deafened by a sound of a crowd cheering.

He looked around and realized he was in a battle field. 

the battle field that already had a winner. Knights in read cloak cheering all around, raising their blood dripping sword in the air and joyfully yelled at the top of their lung.

Everyone was so happy that he thought he was the only one who noticed that there were two people on the floor in front of him.

It was Merlin, again, and he was holding his twin on his lap.

His twin has a hole on his chain mail and there was a extensive amount of blood coming out of it.

Merlin had just used his magic. He was certain about that. He could feel it. The magic was so powerful that its presence could still be felt, and it lingered around Merlin, oozing out of his body like a heavy smoke.

He suspected the one who had ended the war was Merlin himself.

But Merlin didn’t look so cheerful about that. Tears streaming from his eyes nonstop. He held to the body on his lap so tight like he thought it would, somehow, restrained the man from leaving. Denied to give him up to the death.

Merlin rested his head on the dying man. Arthur’s twin smirked weakly. He reached up to brush Merlin’s reddening cheeks which was caused by too much crying. 

“Until next time, Merlin.”

Merlin whimpered.

“I love you.” 

Arthur said and used his last strength to push himself up and kiss Merlin. He missed, though, so it landed on the side of Merlin’s mouth instead. He pressed his mouth there for only one second before he fell limp on the sorcerer's lap. His eyes rolled back into his skull, sword slipped out of his hand and to the ground.

Merlin trembled even harder. He clenched and twisted the chainmail of his lover in agony.

Arthur didn’t even know when had he started crying. 

“He had done so much for you in your past live.” Out of nowhere, a voice of an old man echoed in his ears and it made him jumped.

He looked around and found no one who was close enough to talk to him like that.

Merlin picked the sword up with his quivering hand. Lifting it up slowly.

“He had protected you, aided you, and stood beside you until your last breath.”

The voice continued. Speaking as if it was a narrator of the story Arthur was witnessing.

Merlin turned the tip of the sword towards his chest.

Arthur’s eyes widened.

“What are you doing, Merlin? Put it down, damn it, Merlin!”

Arthur couldn’t concentrate on what the sound in his head was saying anymore. He didn’t even care where that creepy sound came from. His focus was solely on Merlin who was about to do something horrible right before his eyes.

“Now it’s your turn to protect him. Our hope lies upon you, sire. Please keep him safe. And remember, don’t believe what you have heard, for the truth can only be revealed by you and him, together.”

Merlin pierced the sword to his heart in one shove. 

Arthur shut his eyes tight and screamed.


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin wasn’t sure if he had yet opened his eyes because all around him was nothing but darkness. Deafening in his ears was a sound of hundreds of people chanting in an old language of magic. It was also chilled to the bone in here from both the temperature and the power of the incantation from nowhere.

He groaned and stood up on his feet. There was no one in his sight. 

A gentle touch on his shoulder made him jumped. Magic hissed under his skin. He turned back, ready to strike at whoever it was. 

The man who touched his shoulder raised his hands up, surrender. It made Merlin able to breath again. Merlin’s magic crawled back inside him. 

“Fear not, Emrys, I am Iseldir, chieftain of the druids. I’m here to help.” The man who smell like herbs and incense said to him with a calm voice.

“The druids?”

“We’ve been watching you for many years now. We’ve tried to help you but Sigan’s magic was too strong for us to just break in and rescue you.” The druid looked really sorry.

“Whom magic?”

“Cornelius Sigan. The one who locked you up in that magic draining shop.”

Merlin shook his head. “Oh, no, no, no. This must be a big misunderstanding. It was my father who locked me in the shop, for safety purpose. Not this Si-- Si what again?”

“Sigan. Cornelius Sigan.” Iseldir supported.

“Yeah, Cornelius Sigan.” Merlin repeated.

“He was the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived, but only before you were born. He was very keen to take over the magic community, but his magic alone could not do such thing. He needed your power to do so.”

Merlin chuckled and stop when he saw that Iseldir face was dead serious. He cleared his throat then continued. “Are you suggesting I am the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived? This is getting ridiculous, I have magic, yes, but it was so weak that most of the time it’s just light show, really.” Then he frowned. “Don’t you tell Arthur that or he’ll not be afraid of me. Well, even when he doesn’t know this, he’s not that afraid anyway. So, never mind...What were you saying?”

The druids’ chief blinked at Merlin’s ramble. He inhaled then said. 

“Speaking of the king, we have sent him a message and we shall give you one too, Emrys.”

“A message? Wait, who is the king? You mean Arthur? And may I ask where are we right now? This place is so cold! Am I dead? Hey, and I still don’t know who is this ‘Sigan’. Also, why do you keep calling me Emrys?--”

Iseldir cut him short. “Look, Emrys, we don’t have time to answer all of your questions. You and the king had broken free from that monstrous shop and now Sigan is out looking for you both. We can’t meet with you in person because his magic is still all over your body and it’s deadly to us. Now that the shop, which has been draining your magic since the first day you trapped in it, had gone, magic he had drained will rush back into you and filled your body from every way possible. You will experience the headache, like you did on the island, you have to let the king help you carry that burden. Share your magic with him. He is the only place where you can safely store it.”

“You mean, by kissing him?” Merlin raised an eyebrow and tried not to blush as the image of Arthur kissing him passionately seeped into his mind.

“Yes, that way, your magic will be temporary transfer into him. But he cannot use it, because unlike you, he is still half mortal. It will only come back to you when you call for it.”

Merlin scratched his head. “So, he’s like, my magic storage or something?”

“No, Emrys, he is so much more than that.” The druids’ chief looked at him intensively. “He is your other half.”

Merlin opened his mouth to ask again but he was blacked out before he could.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Merlin jerked upright and found himself in one smelly alley. Arthur was also on the floor not far from him. The bleeding had stopped, and the wound had turned into a big scar across his palm.

He crawled to Arthur and shook him.

“Arthur. Arthur wake up! Don’t tell me you are dead already!”

Arthur opened his eyes so fast Merlin almost had a heart attack.

“Merlin!” Arthur screamed and attacked him with a hug. 

He clung to the sorcerer tightly like a baby koala.

“Arthur, Arthur, calm down! What’s wrong?” Merlin sat still while caressing his hair soothingly.

“Are you really here? Are you alive? Are you hurt?” Arthur’s voice was cracking, like he was about to burst into tears.

“Yes, I hope so, and no.” Merlin answered.

“I thought I’ve lost you!!” 

Arthur pulled them apart and went straight to Merlin’s mouth.

It was when Arthur kissed him that Merlin realized how much his head was aching. It disappeared, though, after a while of their desperate kiss. He started to wonder that his confrontation with the druid wasn’t just a dream and there’s a truth in what he had said.

But he decided not to tell Arthur just yet.

“Will you tell me what happened now?” Merlin asked while panting. Their heads rested together.

Arthur closed his eyes, swallowed, and shook his head.

“I had a dream, I guess, I don’t know. It felt so real! I saw...I saw myself, died on your lap and then...then I saw you stab yourself to death with my sword!”

“Oh.” Merlin was out of word.

They stayed like that for a while then a smile crept on Merlin’s face uncontrollably.

“What are you smiling for?” Arthur frowned.

Merlin shrugged. “I dunno, just the fact that if I died, it would make you this upset is a little...tickle.”

“If you see someone stab themselves in the heart you would be upset too!”

“But I would not jump right in and kiss them.” Merlin said earnestly.

He swore he saw Arthur's cheeks colouring up a bit, but there was not much light in the alley so he couldn’t be certain.

“Shut up, Merlin.” Arthur pushed him away and stood up.

Merlin followed him out of the alley. It was so much brighter outside they had to squint their eyes at the brilliant sun.

“Where are we? Hey, where are you going?” 

Merlin walked past Arthur and let him stood stupidly on the street. He came back a few minutes later with a colourful piece of paper in his hand.

“I believe...” Merlin thrust the brochure at Arthur’s chest. “...that we are in Rome.”

The paper in his hand that read ‘A GUIDE TO SEE ROME IN ONE DAY’ and antique buildings around them supported what Merlin had said but Arthur still looked at him with disbelieving.

Merlin just nodded.


	11. Chapter 11

Merlin wolfed down on his third bowl of ice-cream. 

Beside him was four empty bowl that he had already lick-clean five minutes ago.

After stood bewildering in front of that alley for a while, they decided to explore the street of Rome. They ended up at a small ice-cream parlour not far from where they landed. There was a couple of tables that were already occupied when they arrived, so they chose the one that was outside and farthest from other tables possible. Just in case something unusual or supernatural happened to them again.

“Slow down, idiot, you’ll have a headache eating that fast.” Arthur commented.

Merlin paused for two seconds then went back to slurping up his ice cream.

Arthur massaged his temple and sighed. Sometime he felt like he was dealing with a giant foolish child.

“Where is the shop anyway?” Arthur asked out of curiosity.

Merlin shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it landed somewhere else, maybe it stays on that island. I don’t care anymore, I’m free!” Then he frowned. “Kilgharrah must be so lonely in there, though...poor thing. One day I’ll master the teleport spell and go back for him.”

Arthur nodded.

“So, you are not bond to the shop any more?”

“I think the bond had broken since the day you dragged me out of it.” Merlin snorted. “So what’s next? What’s your plan?” Merlin asked while using his spoon to play with the remaining of ice cream in the glass bowl.

“I think I'll go home.” Arthur said plainly.

“Oh.” Merlin nodded. Look down at the bowl. “Right.”

“Stop looking like an injured puppy, will you? It’s not like we’re going disappear from each other’s live or anything. Beside, I cannot just leave you like this. You have no home or friend or family. How about you moving in to my old apartment and we’ll figure what we’ll do next, that sounds good for you?”

It was his mother’s apartment, actually. He wanted to keep it as long as he could and he had never invited anyone in that room before, but the idea of Merlin moving in didn’t made him cringe. It was odd because it was something precious to him. He wondered why.

Merlin smiled, with chocolate sticking in his teeth and all.

Arthur couldn’t stop himself in time. Before he knew it, his hand had reached in and fluffed at Merlin’s raven hair. When he realized what he was doing, his hand snatched back like he got an electric shock. Merlin looked down to his ice cream again. His mouth twitched.

Arthur cleared his throat.

“Well, since we’re here in Rome, and you had never ‘actually’ travelling anywhere before. How about one day trip here in this city? You and me, following wherever this brochure lead? What do you say?” Arthur said, raising the said brochure up. He had skimmed it while Merlin was ordering what seem like all the ice cream the shop had to offer, and it was not bad at all. 

He himself had been in Rome for three or four times already but most of the time it just a business trip, nothing enjoyable about that. This would benefit him too.

“That would be really nice.” Merlin replied. His smiled was as bright as the sun.

Out of nowhere, tiny green leaves grew out of a crack in the middle of the table. It was getting taller and taller until it was about a foot high, then a dark pink rose bloomed in the middle of the verdant leaves.

“What the-?” Arthur was the first one to exclaim. Merlin, on the other hand, just sat there, gaping at it. 

Arthur looked under the table. His intention was to find its source, but what he found was far more shocking than he had expected. 

Merlin’s chair was entwined by flowering vines. Small trees and flowers are blooming out of the red bricks beneath Merlin’s feet. The rose on the table was just the tip of all the garden that was growing constantly under Merlin’s chair.

Looking up again, Arthur found that his Merlin’s eyes turned gold at the rim, and it was crawling and seeping in, making his whole iris glow gold in the middle of the day.

He jumped up off his seat and used his hand to cover the sorcerer’s eyes.

“Control your magic, you oaf! People are starting to stare!” He hissed.

Actually no one was staring, except one little girl who walked pass with her mother holding her hand. She called for her to look, but, thank god, she was too busy with her phone call to give her daughter any attention.

Merlin ate one last spoon of melted ice cream and said. “Let’s get out of here.” 

Arthur pulled his hand back and stood up.

After a few blocks away from where they started, Merlin slipped in between two buildings. Arthur stopped and looked at him.

“Arthur, could you come over here. This won’t take long.” Merlin whispered, looking somewhat shifty.

“What are you doing?” Arthur asked, not sure what Merlin was thinking, but followed him in anyway.

As soon as Arthur was in his reach, he shoved the blonde to the wall and kissed him like his life depended on it. Their mouths were a perfect match. Arthur moaned at the feeling of being fulfilled, and Merlin looked as please as him.

Arthur yanked him off by his hair to say; “Could have just asked directly.” then swoop back into Merlin’s reddening lips.

Two girls walked pass and saw them. They flushed and giggled.

Merlin pulled apart at that sound. His eyes were normal blue once again, but his ears were rosy.

“Wait, are you being shy like a maiden right now?” Arthur chortled.

Merlin look to his left and his right then replied. “I’m not.” 

His reddening cheeks suggested otherwise.

Arthur grinned.

“You are an arse.” Merlin punched him in the arm then and left the alleyway in hurry.

“Hey! Wait for me!”

Arthur followed him with a ridiculously broad smile plastered on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

The first place the brochure lead them to was Villa Borghese Garden.

There were several people strolled around the vast-verdant garden. Statues of famous people scattered along the pathway here and there. The statues whiteness stood out of the green background of the tree-filled garden. 

Merlin and Arthur paced casually along the shady path then stopped at a small fountain somewhere in the garden. There was a pond nearby, and they could see a family of Mallards floating freely, bobbing up and down with the tide. 

Their surrounding was so calm and peaceful Merlin asked Arthur to just leave him there so he could live as a magical hobo in the garden.

Arthur dragged him out before he could sit down on a bench he’d chose to be his new bed.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Trevi Fountain was their second destination. It was already crowded when they arrived.

Massive white sculptures stood tall before them. The water was clear blue they could see thousands of silver and gold coins sat at the bottom of the fountain.

People walked swiftly passed their left and right side. Some stood and froze to take a picture. Some threw a coin into the water.

Merlin hugged himself and pouted. He said Arthur should have just left him at the garden. Arthur laughed in respond and punched his shoulder to cheer him up. Merlin didn’t think that was helpful at all.

“Why are these people throwing coins into that fountain?” Merlin asked.

“Well, there’s a saying that, if you threw a coin with your right hand over left shoulder with your back facing the pool, in the future, you will be back here again.”

“Is that true?”

Arthur shrugged then said, “Let’s test the myth, shall we?”

Merlin raised an eyebrow, accepting the challenge.

The coins they threw plopped into the pool and sank to the bottom, joining thousands of coins under the crystal clear water. What they didn’t see was that their coin drifted closer to each other until at the end, one of them landed right on top of the other.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Their next destination was Campo de’ Fiori; a market square where they had their first proper meal they hadn’t had in what felt like ages.

The place was also crowded with people, but there’s more space to move and breath than at the fountain. Fruits of all colour lined up on wooden crates around them. Above each stall stood a cream shade, protecting them from the fierce midday sunlight. All sellers was lively and their faces had a big smile painted on them almost all the time.

Merlin almost hopped on his foot as they walked leisurely around the market because of the vibe of the place.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Arthur decided to take things to the next level by adding another programme to end their day.

He decided that they should take a helicopter ride.

Merlin thought the whirling thingy on top of the flying box was a little too loud, but the view was too good to complain. He liked it so much he leant out to the point that he was almost out of the window. Arthur had to grab at his shirt to ensure that he would not fell out.  
Merlin's eyes glinted like a child. His raven hair danced merrily with the wind, and when it bounced off the last sunlight of the day, it made him look like he was some kind of a gift from God. Arthur couldn’t take his eyes off him for the rest of the flight.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

When the helicopter landed, it was almost completely dark.

With fewer budgets and the tiredness that was eating at their bones, they headed to the closest hotel and ended up getting the last available room which had only one double bed. 

It was a small room for two men, but it was good enough at that time. There was a wood table with many drawers at one side of the room and a wooden window at the other side. The bed was painfully small and had only two brown pillows to match with the tone of the room. 

They washed and slept with their back to one another.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Golden morning ray shot through the crack of window curtain and landed on Merlin’s eyes. He groaned and buried his face in the pillow. The movement woke the man who was sleeping face to face beside him.

Arthur awoke and his eyes was half opened. The first thing he saw was one powerful sorcerer who sleep soundly like a lazy child in front of him. He didn’t dare to move for he feared that the picture in front of him would dissolve and fade away.

Merlin shifted again and then opened his heavy lids half way. His gaze met with the blonde whose hair bounced off the sun-ray, made him look semi-god.

No one dared to move.

“How nice will it be if you are my boyfriend?” Arthur muttered sleepily.

“What?” Merlin asked, not sure if he was still dreaming.

Arthur eyes widen. He had just realized he said that sentence out loud.

“I didn’t say anything.” He said, trying to pull a poker face.

Merlin squinted at him.

Arthur chewed his mouth nervously then he decided that he could no longer lie there with Merlin in front of him and looking like that. If he stayed any longer he might jumped in and kiss the soul out of him.

So, he got up.

Merlin locked the his wrist with a firm grip of his hand. When Arthur started to pull away, he used all his strength and a bit of magic to toppled Arthur down on his chest. Their noses brushed softly, eyes staring deep into each other’s.

“I think it would be really nice” Merlin whispered.

Arthur’s breath quickened. His eyes shifted back and forth between Merlin’s deep blue eyes and his plump-alluring lips.

“Let’s give it a shot, yeah? I’ll be your boyfriend, alright?” Merlin finished what he had to say.

Arthur grinned ear to ear. He bent down to press a soft kiss on Merlin’s lips to seal the deal.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

When they opened the hotel door to leave for London, they had to stop in shock. The world might have ended when they were asleep because in front of them was nothing but endless darkness.

Merlin and Arthur looked at each other. No one knew what to say.

Distinct sound of leisure footsteps that were approaching made two of them turned and looked. A tall man in a feathery black cloak, that look so out of date, walked with his chin in the air and stopped when he was directly in front of Merlin, facing him in the middle of the darkness.

Arthur looked at the stranger with so many questions in mind.

Merlin looked at him with teary eyes.

“Dad?” Merlin mumbled shivery.


	13. Chapter 13

“Come here, boy.” The man Merlin called ‘Dad’ reached out his arms, offering a hug.

Merlin stepped towards him slowly.

Arthur looked between the older man and Merlin. He didn’t dare to ask anything.

Merlin reached him at last, and they hugged.

“Hello, father. Or should I call you…Cornelius Sigan?” Merlin asked through his gritted teeth. 

The taller figured smirked. His face transformed into a mess of goo before it fully turned into the other man entirely. This man, unlike the previous one, had sharp features and had evilness in his eyes. “Smart boy, I suspect that someday you would figured this out but not this soon. I’m impressed.” His voice had changed too.

Merlin pushed him away and the older man laughed like a maniac.

Merlin wished the man would deny his accusation, proved to him that what Iseldir had forewarned him was untrue.

“Who are you? And what do you want from me?” Arthur could tell from Merlin’s voice that he was on a verge of tears.

“I am your father, Merlin.”

“If you say that again, I will end you!” Merlin scolded at him.

Magic hissed viciously in his clenching fists.

“Ow...so scary, young warlock. What can you do apart from yapping at my knee? Your power is nothing compares to mine. I have been draining your magic since you were fifteen! Your magic is useless now.”

Merlin pushed back the urge to strangle him. He needed as much information as he could because he knew basically nothing of this man. Or even of himself in the past. “What did you do to my parents?”

“I have killed your father since the day I took you. Your mother was in miserable, but I didn’t care to do anything with her. It was such a waste of my power then to kill a mortal who could do nothing but shaking with rage at my feet.”

Merlin growled.

“Oh, don’t be mad at me, young warlock. ‘You’ are the one who force me to do this! In your past life, I asked you to join me. I told you that Arthur will tremble at your voice, kneel at your feet, but you chose to be with him. What a fool! When I was freed again, I have to try a new way and the result is quite satisfying so far.”

“You filthy bastard!”

“Ouch, that’s hurt, son” Sigan said it with a mockery smile. 

Arthur felt something solid forming in his hand. He looked down and saw that it was the same sword he pulled out of the stone...Excalibur.

Sigan continued without noticing him, “I’ll wipe away your memories with your pathetic friend here and deleted him from the surface of this world entirely. Then bond you to the shop again.”

Automatically, Arthur used that slice of a second when Sigan started his incantation to jump in and slash the sword at one of the evil sorcerer’s arm. He couldn’t tell whether it was a good or a bad timing for doing that because the ‘Memory Deleting Spell’ didn’t hit Merlin, but the force from the hit made Sigan’s hand swooshed to his direction instead. The spell hit him directly in the face and he was sent flying away two meters from where he once stood.

His head was heating up from the inside and he almost couldn’t think straight anymore. 

Sigan screamed in pain. He clutched at his bleeding arm and grunted then mumbled something then disappeared completely.

Merlin rushed to Arthur on the floor. He spooned Arthur’s head up on his lap and it made a strong shiver ran down Arthur’s spine. This position was too much alike to the thing he saw in his dream.

“Arthur! Arthur, talk to me! Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I guess. I don’t know. My head...ow.” Even a simple talking made his head dizzy.

“Why?...You shouldn’t-- You should have just--”

Arthur reached his hand up to wipe away a drop of water that was about to fall from the corner of Merlin’s eye.

“Don’t cry, Merlin. I’m not dying. It just...I’ll forget things and all you need to do is remind me of it all again.” Arthur tried to smile.

Merlin nodded rapidly. Unable to form a word because there was a lump at the back of his throat.

“Hey, Merlin.” Arthur whispered.

Merlin bent down to hear him better.

“Next time, I want you to be the one who ask me out.” Arthur spent his last strength to get those words out and pulled Merlin down for a kiss.

Their lips were merely brushed when Arthur fell back down on his lap. Heavy and still.

Merlin hugged his limp body up and buried his head in his shoulder, shaking and making a damp spot on the fabric.

None of them had noticed that while they were saying goodbye, the dark surroundings had resembled into something they were both familiar with.

Somehow, Sigan’s magic had teleported them to a cold street of London. The place where it all began...


	14. Chapter 14

“Arthur?” Merlin said, uncertain.

Arthur blinked at him then hurried up on his feet. “Who the bloody hell are you? Get off me!”

Merlin felt the clod emptiness on his lap. He was taken aback but expecting this to happen, so he managed to keep his cool though the tears were welling up in his eyes. “I’m...sorry. I- I saw you passing out on the floor so I checked.”

Arthur look at him warily. There was nothing left in Arthur’s eyes. All feelings and memories of what they had been through together were simply gone. 

Arthur walked away.

Merlin clenched his fists. Shaking.

There was a hand came resting on his shoulder when the first drop of his tear reached his chin.

“Emrys.” Said Iseldir “It is me.”

He was all alone and it was so cold on the street and he never felt so lonely before in his life so he hugged the man in a weird white cloak in front of him and cry on and on.

Iseldir stiffen up a little but he hugged the sorcerer back. 

“Emrys. You did the right thing. You have to let the king go, give him some time. We need to take care of Sigan first.” He said in his calm voice.

“Sigan...I will kill him!” Merlin spit Sigan’s name like it was something foul in his mouth. He stepped back from the old man and wiped off his tears.

“Come back to our place. We have to talk.”

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Iseldir’s house was not a house. 

It was a house shape from the outside but when Merlin stepped past the front door he found himself in a greenish forest in the middle of nowhere. 

It was so vast a whole tribe of people who dress like Iseldir could fit in here and still had abundance space of their own to move around. If he was not mistaken he thought he saw a mountain range far away in the background. 

When they saw him, they all gather up in from of him and looked at him in awe. 

Merlin shifted on his feet.

“My people, our effort has payback at last. Emrys is now free from the evil power!” Iseldir announced and suddenly, people started cheering and hugging their love one in excitement.

“Emrys, can you recall the book that inform you how to control the shop? It was us who place the book there, well one of our people. We are so sorry we couldn’t instruct you on how to use the spell properly. It’s because we can not risk having you know our rescue mission, we do not know whether Sigan is reading your mind or not.” Iseldir whispered to him while people continued the cheering.

“Really?”

“Yes, it was Morgana, the king’s sister, who place it there. She is the only one who have strong power enough to break in. She was in disguise that day when you left London with the king. The last customer of yours on that day, to be specific.”

“But she’s my regular customer...oh, you mean she disguised as one of my regular customer?”

Iseldir nodded.

“Oh.”

“Sadly, she cannot join us today. She needs to tend to the king first, he must be confused by the gaps of time he had been with you. Now, our priority thing is to rid of that evil sorcerer, Sigan.”

Merlin nodded firmly at him.

Iseldir turned to his people then continued, “It is true that Emrys is now free but our mission is not yet complete. Sigan is still out there.” People turned silence and listen more carefully. “From what I saw in my vision, he is badly wounded, that’ll keep him in his cave for some time. We need to prepare and strike him when he is weak.” The druids’ chief turned back to Merlin. “You need to perform a ritual to strengthen your magic too. Sigan is no ordinary sorcerer. You need to be at your best to face him.”

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

After hours of meditation and participation in weird rituals, Merlin felt stronger than ever. He accidentally snapped a twig and made it fall on a passerby druid once and commanded lightings to strike at a tree without intended to twice.

Apart from those unfortunate events, all of other thing was going well.

“We will teleport you to him. We cannot all go, it required too much energy. But do not fear, Emrys, we will all be here, sending you parts of our magic.” Iseldir informed him.

Merlin nodded and closed his eyes, allowing a stream of magic to engulf him from head to toes. It was warm and vibrating as it move around his body.

When it ended, he opened his eyes and found himself in a cave. Sigan was on the floor, mending his wound with magic. Hand hovering above his bleeding flesh. It almost completely recovered, though. Sigan looked up and met his eyes. He jumped up on his feet and winced at the sting pain that was still lingering in his bone.

“How did you get in here? Get out!” Sigan roared.

“I come to finish my job.” Merlin replied, nonchalance.

Sigan straightened up. He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Oh, is it about your friend? How is he? Still absent-minded?”

“Shut up!” Merlin snapped.

Sigan laughed and continued.

“Just sit and wait, son, I needed to tend to my wound first.”

Sigan sent a wave of energy towards him, probably hope to knock him on his back but...

Merlin waved his hand, unhurried, the wave of energy bounced back to Sigan. It his him unprepared so he needed to take a stepped back to not falling down. Sigan spit out blood.

“What? How did you-”

Fear filled the older man’s eyes.

“ _Forbearnan!_ ” Merlin yelled and suddenly there was a line of flame encircled Sigan.

The evil sorcerer looked for a way to escape but found none. He realized that the only way to put of this blazing fire was to attack the one who light it up at the first place. He looked above and cracked a stalagmite from the cave ceiling and sent it towards Merlin.

Merlin outstretched his hand and yelled, “ _Astrice!_ ”, A strong power strike at the solid rock and blew it up into pieces just a second before it hit his face.

“Your path end here, Sigan.”

Merlin slowly closed his eyes and concentrate.

“ _O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!_ ” Merlin's voice was deep and hoarse. The power he needed to put into this line of a spell almost made him faint. But it was worth it at the end.

The cave floor cracked. The earth trembled under his feet, but he managed to stood still. The cracked got larger and larger until…

The great dragon spiraled its way up from the bottomless pit between them.

Its mighty roar echoing throughout the cave and made both of them shiver. The dragon swoop down to sit beside Merlin. Fuming and ready to strike on command.

“Be gone.”

Merlin mumbled, his eyes locked at Sigan.

The dragon took off.

And then Sigan was no more.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

It was a creepy thing to do, but Merlin couldn’t help it.

He’d been lurking behind trees and bushes in a small park where Arthur and his friend were picnicking for almost the whole afternoon already. He didn’t dare to approach Arthur, and he thought he never will

Arthur looked...fine. No, he looked happy. Merlin thought. 

He talked and laughed with his friends and seemed to get his life back on track just fine. Merlin couldn’t have a heart to step in and turned his life upside down again.

A week ago, after his last fight with Sigan, the druids took him to Gaius, his uncle. At Gaius’s house he met his mother, and she held his hand and wouldn’t let go for one whole day, even when they were eating. 

He couldn’t tell if it was him or his mother who cry more.

He and Morgana became good friend after they had met a couple of time. Morgana kept him updated about Arthur’s condition, and Merlin genuinely appreciate that. She said he was confused and didn’t seem to recollect anything. She told him the truth once but, of course, he didn’t believe her. 

Merlin straighten up from the bush he was hiding. A dog came sniff at his ankle and the owner urgently dragged the fluffy thing away. Of course, Merlin thought, I would think I look like a creeper too. 

He sighed, turned his back to Arthur, and headed home.

He had decided that when he saw Morgana again, he’ll told her that he didn’t want Arthur to remember him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to  
> https://merlin.fandom.com/wiki/Spells
> 
> O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes! = O dragon, now indeed I utter to you commands out of necessity!
> 
> Forbearnan! = Let the fire consume!
> 
> Astrice! = Strike!
> 
> One more chapter to go!


	15. Chapter 15

It had been three months since he had stopped sneaking on Arthur.

He poured all of his energy to focus on his free magic shop inside Gaius’s house and let it consumed all his free time instead.

He became best friend with a neighbor, Gwen, about two months ago. She was the loveliest of a person he had ever met. Morgana was still a constant visitor and she never bring up anything related to Arthur after Merlin told her not to.

“You look tired, Merlin.” Gwen spoke to him after one busy evening.

It was a head-spinning day, yes, there was a young sorcerer cracked a potion pot and it leaked everywhere and then one thing lead to another. But what really made him seemed distracted and had to double his effort to stay focus on his task was the fact that one of his customers who helped him clean up look painfully like Arthur. 

“I’m fine, Gwen. Thank you.”

He tried to smile, but from Gwen’s expression, he knew she didn’t believe him.

“You should take a break sometime, you know? Go out and have some fun! You can even travel the world from what you have earn working non-stop for three months straight like this!”

Merlin denied it politely. Working was the only thing that could kept him from thinking about Arthur and he wanted it to stay like that.

Saturday came, and Morgana gave him a visit. Gwen sprinted to her before Merlin could and begged her to help convinced Merlin to go on a trip because ‘lately he looks like a zombie who's cursed to work endlessly’. Morgana didn’t agree straightaway but grinned wickedly. 

Two days later, Morgana was at his front door again with a paper that told him ‘he’ had booked a trip to Italy tomorrow in her hand.

Merlin sighed. He could never beat Morgana when she put her mind into harassing people into doing something.

He accepted it half-heartedly.

•HHHHHHHHHHHH•

Taking a flight for the first time in his life was truly an eye-opening experience and he regretted he didn’t go on a trip like this sooner.

He waited for a tour guide Morgana mentioned she had booked especially for him. She said this tour guide was so hard to book because he was a busy man.

People walked swiftly pass him, and he had to jump while muttering apology to people and their big luggage as he looked around to find the said tour guide.

Someone cleared their throat loudly from his back and Merlin turned to look.

It was Arthur.

Merlin froze on his spot. His heart trying to leap out of his chest.

Arthur smile and walk towards him.

“Hi, Merlin, I’m your tour guide.”

Arthur reached his hand out, and Merlin take it weakly.

“Hi.” Merlin managed.

Arthur just looked polite, though, and it made Merlin’s heart ache. He never really knew Arthur’s profession so he could really be a tour guide.

“Y- You are the guide Morgana b- booked for me?”

“Yes.” 

Arthur replied flatly but there was a humor in his eyes. Merlin thought it must be because he was amused at how Merlin stuttering and didn’t know where to put his hands.

“Um...where should we start then?” Merlin tried to acted normal. His hand visibly shook.

“We should start...”

Arthur picked out his map. It was enormous. He fumbled with it for a while.

Merlin looked at the map, didn’t try to find a place to start their trip but a reason why Morgana play a cruel trick on him like this? Did she pay her brother to take him on a trip?

“...here!” Arthur’s voice brought him back to reality.

Merlin had no idea where on earth that was. The symbol on it told him that it was a hotel. The name of it was familiar, though.

“This place is a very important landmark in Rome...because it’s the place where I asked you to be my boyfriend.”

“Wha- Sorry?”

Merlin brain had stopped working.

Arthur looked at him. Feeling filled his eyes, and it flushed Merlin’s brain.

“It’s also the place where we promise you’ll ask me out next time around but you bloody broke it and ran away, leave me felt empty and longing for only God and Morgana knew who for months!”

“I- Wha-...You remember?”

“Like it just happened yesterday.”

Merlin’s mouth was trembling.

Merlin opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

So Arthur stepped in and kissed the soul out of him.

“When?” Merlin said after they had parted to breath. Hand still playing with Arthur’s hair.

“About a week after we were back to London. I thought it was a dream at first then it became clearer and clearer every time I sleep...and when I could summon a sword in my hand last week, I knew it was real. Here, look.”

Arthur stretched his right hand out and then excalibur appeared in his grip.

Merlin stared at it wide-eye.

“What are you doing? Make it go away, people are looking!”

“Alright, alright.” Arthur laughed and shook it away.

They stared back into each other eyes then laughed. Merlin bent in for some more kiss.

“So are you ready?” Arthur asked.

“Ready for what?”

“Our tour!”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, why not?” He raised an eyebrow.

Merlin shrugged.

Arthur put a chaste kissed his cheek.

“Stop that!” Merlin slapped at Arthur’s arm, cheeks red.

“BUt I miss you!” Arthur replied like a petulant child.

“Here, how about this?” Merlin reached for his hand and entwined their fingers together.

Arthur made an approval sound, firmer the grip and marched towards the exit door while humming happily.

Merlin followed his lead with a smiled playing on his lips.

They walked side-by-side and waited to see where life would take them next.

-. END .-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story end here. Hooray! 
> 
> A BIG thanks to everyone who stick with me till the end of this story. I appreciate every comments, kudos, and bookmarks <3
> 
> Hope you all have a nice day!


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